Northwest Bartlett pear growers and processors are all going into the 2022 growing season with price negotiations already settled for a record $375 per ton. “It’s the best news I’ve been able to give pear growers in years,” said B.J. Thurlby, president of the Washington-Oregon Canning Pear Association, which negotiates prices for growers under a federal marketing order with the two major canners. “Getting it negotiated early means growers can farm based on what their income is going to be.” It’s a welcome change from the past few seasons, when tense negotiations stretched into the summer months, said Adam McCarthy, […]